Fuel-feeding apparatus



E. M. OKINS.

FUEL FEEDING APPARATUS.

APPEICATION FILED NOV. 18. I920.

mm; Patented Aug. 1, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET I- A Y 1409 4,? I. I 101011111 fi' ,fl" SIM ah I E. M. OKINS.

FUEL FEEDING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1920.

Patented Aug. 1, 1922.

2 SHEET$-SHEET 2.

ELLIOTT M. OKINS, 0F AUBURN, WASHINGTON.

FUEL-FEEDING- APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Ari 1, 1922..

Application filed November 18, 1920. Serial No. 424,839.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLIOTT M. Onins, a citizen of the United States, residing at Auburn, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuel-Feeding Apparatus, of which the followin is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for feeding saw-dust or bogged fuel to furnaces, and the object of this improvement to provide a mechanically operated device of simple and efiicient construction that may be installed on any ordinary type of furnace for delivering sawdust or hogged wooden fuel to the furnace at a constant rate, and in a manner best calculated to produce a hot fire and that will operate without attention, thereby eliminating the necessity of employing a fireman to fire the furnace.

A further object is to provide a fuel feeding device of this nature that is not easily clogged by sticks and splinters in the sawdust or hogged fuel, and one whose working arts are all disposed on the exterior of the i1I'-l)OX of the furnace.

A still further object is to provide a fuelfeeding device l'ldVlIlg a spout or chute by which the fuel is delivered in successive small charges in a single pile in substantially the center of the fire-box of a'furnace, and having a reciprocating feed mem her for insuring the delivery of fuel at the proper rate.

vVith the above and other objects in view, as will appear from the following description, the invention consists in the novel construction, adaptation and combination of parts of a fuel-feeding device, as will be more clearly hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a fragmeir tary plan view looking down on the top of a furnace upon which my fuel-feeding appa ratus is installed. Fig. 2 is a view partially in section and partially in end elevation of the same substantially on a broken line 2--2 of Fig. 1, parts of the driving' mechanism being omitted. Fig. 3 is a View partially in side elevation. and partially in verticalsection substantially on a broken line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. & is an enlarged view in crosssection substantially on a broken line 4i of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an, enlarged view in cross section substantially on a broken line 5-5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a detached view in perspective of a detail of the invention.

Fig. 7 is a View in elevation showing the edge of a few links only of a conveyor chain embodied in the invention, and Fig. 8 is a plan view of the chain shown in Fig. 7.

Like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a boiler of any well-known form which is provided at one end with the usual furnace or fire-box 11, having a grate l2 and to which access may ordinarily be had by means of hinge doors l3 and 14.

In accordance with my invention, a channel shaped fuel feed chute 15 having a downwardly inclined inner end 16 that terminates substantially above the center of the grate 12 is inserted through the top door 13, as shown in Fig. 3., i

The outer end of the chute 15 is supported by upright struts 17 that may be secured to horizontal frame members or joists 18 di posed above the boiler. Fuel is delivered into the chute 15 in close proximity to the end of the furnace by means of a conveyor comprising a V-shaped trough 20, see Fig. wherein is disposed a conveyor chain 21 that passes over sprocket wheels 22 and 23 at the opposite ends of the conveyor, respectively, the sprocket chain moving in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2, to convey fuel as sawdust or hogged wooden fuel from a hopper 9.4 and deliver the same into the chute 15. Guard plates 19 and19 serve to prevent spilling of the fuel as it is discharged from the conveyor into the chute 15. V

The fuel that is delivered into the chute 15 is moved inwardly into the furnace by means of a reciprocable L-shaped pusher member 25 having a downwardly extending forward end 26 and provided at its rear end with a rigid, outwardly projected plate 27 having a slot 28, through which the lower end of an oscillating bar 29 projects.

The pusher member 26 is guided for reciprocation between longitudinally disposed guide members 30 that are secured to the sides of the chute 15.

The chute 15 is provided above the guides 30 and at a distance removed from the end of the furnace, with a transverse partition member 31 that prevents fuel from being drawn backwardly by the pusher 25 on its rearward movement.

The oscillating bar 29 is fulcrumed on a pivot "32 and is pivotally connected at its upper end with one end of a link 33 whose other end is pivoted on a crank arm 34 on the end of a transverse shaft 35 that maybe supported in suitable bearings that are sethat is connected by a sprocket chain 442 with another sprocket wheel 45 on a shaft 46. The shaft 46 is provided'with double pulleys 47 that are connected by a belt 48 with other double pulleys50 on the driven shaft l1.

The double pulleys 36, 38, 47 and 50 are of the usual form wherein one pulley ofthe driven pair is loose on the shaft and the other pulley of the driven pair is lined to theshaft so that the respective belts may be shifted in well-known manner from a driving to an idling position, or vice versa.

The conveyor 01131112115 preferably of the usual l nk belt type, as shown in Figs. T

and 8, and is provided-at suitable intervals 24: to the chute 15.

with upwardly projecting lugs or paddles 52 that assist in elevating and conveying thesawdust or hogged fuel from the hopper The frequency of the lugs52 on the chain 21. and the size of such lugs may be varied to vary the capac ity of the conveyor.

The downwardly inclined end 16 of the chute 15 terminates substantially above the center of the grate bars 12 so that the saw dust or hogged wooden fuel will be delivered in a conically shapedgpile on the grate bars 12, substantiallyas indicated at in Fig. 3, in which position the fuel has been found to burn with better results and more 'efliciently than when itis spread out evenly over the grate'bars 12;

The rate at which the fuel is fed to the furnace is controlled by varying the speed of rotation of the driving shaft 41, and the fuel-feeding apparatus may be entirely stopped either by stopping the driving shaft llcrshifting the belts 48and from. the driving to the idling pulleys on which they run; I i

In firing with light fuel, as sawdust or bogged wooden fuel, it is necessary that fresh fuel be introduced into the furnace either constantly or at very frequent intervals, so that in firing even a small furnace by hand, itJwil-l require thealmost constant attention of at least one fireman; \Vith this mechanical fuel-feeding device the services of the fireman maybe dispensed with for the reason. that this device when it is once started may be allowed to run for comparatively long periods of time with very little attention.

The reciprocating pushermember 25has been found to be a very efficient mechanism for introducing the fuel into the firebox for the reason that it maintains a substantially even feed, introduces a relatively small amount of fuel at each forward excursion and is not easily clogged.

From. the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the form of construction and method of operation of this fuel-feeding device will be readily apparent, but while I have described the principle of operation of the invention together with the device which I now consider to be the preferred embodi ment thereof, it will be understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be resorted to as are within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim, is- 1. Apparatus for feeding fuel into a lirebox comprising a chute of channel-shaped cross-section arranged so that one end ther of projects into said lire-box, spaced guide members extending lengthwise of said chute about midway between the top and bottom thereof, a transverse partition plate extending cross-wise between the two sides of said chute. above said guide members, 'a pusher member guided by said guide members and aving a downturned forward end and means for reciprocating said pusher member. I

2. Apparatus for feeding light pulverized fuel into a fire-box, comprising a chute having a normally horizontal outer end section arranged on the exterior of said, firebox and a downwardly inclined inner end section arranged to project into said lirelUOX, a conveyor trough terminating above the horizontal section. of said. chute, a fuel hopper at the outer end of said conveyor trough, an endless link-belt conveyor in said trough and arranged to convey fuel ports, means for oscillating said vertical bar to reciprocate said pusher member, and

i'neans for driving said link-belt conveyor.

Signed at'Seattle, Washington, this 27th day of Octoberf1920.

ELLIOTT M. omits; 

